MEMORY
by Bring
Summary: What defines a reality? What are the memories that one holds truly dear? The World R:3 is finally here and everyone is eager to get there hands on a copy. However, a mysterious player by the name of Light sees the new game as something more.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hello everyone. This story is a little piece that I started on a while back (about a year ago) but never got around to really working on. I started writing this around the time .hack/Link was announced and about to be released. While I liked the overall concept, I couldn't help but feel that the story didn't serve as a truly dramatic, satisfying conclusion to the .hack/ series. So this story would have served as my continuation of the series after the GU games.

While I have most of the main points still written in my notes, the inspiration and the drive to continue this story simply isn't there anymore. Since I still have the story and the notes, I might continue the story some day; however, I currently am unsure of such.

Anyways, enjoy the story and feel free to ask me any questions in your review or pms.

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**.****hack/MEMORY**

Login 1: Return to The World

Have you ever heard of The World? I've gotta say, it's been awhile since I last logged in. I haven't really played since the days when it first came out and it was just the biggest craze. Everyone who was anyone was playing the game. It was just plain amazing! The World is a worldwide, virtual-reality MMORPG; an escape from the toils and tribulations of the real world.

I remember all of the adventures I used to have and the new friends I made along the way. Like my best friend, An Shoji, who played a young boy by the name of Tsukasa in the game. Tsukasa was troubled by a unique problem never before seen in the history of the game; she was unable to log out. You see, there was this program, or rather some kind of digital entity, named Morganna that had linked Tsukasa to The World. In reality, Tsukasa was very unhappy with her life due to her mother dying and her abusive father. So she turned to The World to escape that harsh reality. Morganna's goal was to prevent the awakening of the heart of The World, Aura, from awakening. To do this, Morganna linked Aura to someone from the real world in an attempt to corrupt her and keep her in a perpetual slumber.

Naturally, and pretty much unaware of the situation, I was interested in Tsukasa's case. Even though she kept turning us away, me and my friends eventually befriended the Wavemaster and made it our goal to help Tsukasa log out of the game.

Now that I think about it, there were a lot of scary times too; things that wouldn't normally happen. But we were eventually able to free Tsukasa from her digital prison. I think that's around the time I decided to leave The World. I'm not too sure of the events that followed after that or what became of Aura, but I heard from a friend who was still playing the game at the time that The World, pretty much, went to hell. Apparently, some program went amuck and started to destroy The World from the inside out. Not only that, but a handful of people who played the game were falling into unexplained commas while sitting at their computer terminals. It might just be a suspicion, but I think the incident was all the work of Morganna.

It was thanks to the efforts of a player by the name of Kite and a legendary group called the Dot Hackers that the program's rampage was put to a stop and The World was made safe for everyone to enjoy again.

Hmmm. Why does that name sound familiar?

Anyways, today the legendary player will make her triumphant return to The World! I might have missed out on The World R:2, but now that I have my own copy of The World R:3, its only a matter of time until players around the world know my name!

The necessary programs finish installing on my computer so I figure it's time to put on the visor. I click on the newly created desktop icon and soon enough I brought to the ALTIMIT OS desktop. It's different from how I remember it. The old task pane styled desktop has been replaced with a dynamic, space-like interface. The link to start the game was a large Earth-like planet in the center of a bunch of moon-like satellites. I start to cycle through the satellites to see what all is available. Buuuuut I find myself more really just holding down the right button to see how fast the icons cycle around the planet before I get to the reason why I bought the game.

The character creation screen starts to open up. I already know what I want to be and what my character will look like, but I'm thrown for a loop when I read the screen. "Are you a follower of the Old Wave or the New Wave"; obviously another new feature. I continuously cycle through the two choices for about a minute and read the short descriptions that pop up on the side of the screen. From what I understand, followers of the Old Wave are more in tune with the elements and the gods. They also have the ability to use runes that are located throughout The World. This sounds a lot like the game I remember. Followers of the New Rune employ more advanced weaponry and have the ability to use special devices. I'm tempted to try something new, but I think I'll stick with what sounds the most familiar to me so I select the Old Wave.

The next screen is something I remember well; a list of the different selectable classes. I read over the list with a slight feeling of nostalgia. Twin Blade, Heavy Blade, Wavemaster, Long Arm, Heavy Axeman, Blademaster, Arc Bowman, and Knuckle Master; all of the classes I grew up on as well as a few new ones. But of course my decision was predetermined.

The next screen is the avatar creation screen. As if I was momentarily possessed, I begin to make my character almost exactly like she was in my memories. But then I stop and look at my half-naked avatar. I've made a couple of changes in my life so I think that its only appropriate that my look in The World changes a little too. I resume clicking around the creation menus to make some small alterations to my original design. I'll keep the dark skin and wave-symbols but I think I'll change the hair and armor some. Of course, it'll have to be a stylish armored bikini though.

I finish the character creation process and allocate my stat points. The system saves all the information I've entered until now and brings up one final screen asking me what I would like to be known as in The World. With a deep breath I type in one character at a time: M-I-M-I-R-U.

The screen closes and my destined screen finally pops up. "Welcome to The World".


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: This chapter is told from a different point of view than the last.

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**.****hack/MEMORY**

Login 2: Reality

Sometimes I wonder to myself…what defines the line between reality and the imaginary? When I went to look it up, it said that reality is something that is real; the totality of all things possessing actuality, existence, or essence. So by that definition, can't one argue that The World itself exists? The people you interact with here are real and the emotions and bonds you share are even more so. Even the thoughts and emotions that are far less pleasant are existent in this realm adding to the reality that is The World. The terror of death, the mirage of deceit, propagation, machination, fate, temptation, vengeance, and even rebirth; all of these factors are key elements that blur the line between this world and my world. Because these emotions, these second lives, have authenticity and dept of interaction, would it not be called a reality by the given definition?

I've played this game for what seems like an eternity now. Each time a new version of The World came out, I blindly set out to purchase one of the first copies and made a new character that same day. Three false lives now. That's my eternity, my inconsistency between a grand lie and the truth. For me the line between what's real and what's not has become blurred.

Maybe that's why I came here to the chamber of the goddess, ∆ Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground, Hulle Granz Cathedral. According to the history of The World, the human race captured the goddess Aurora during the war against the gods. After the war, the goddess was imprisoned here on this so called "holy ground".

But I know that's a lie. That goddess's name is Aura, the heart of The World itself. My reality slowly began to fall apart when I encountered her three years ago. Since then, my life has become The World in my attempts to find this missing goddess again. I've continued to follow every lead and every rumor but none have borne me any results. Maybe that's why I came to this place again. If that girl really is the heart of this world, then she would eventually have to return.

"I need answers. But more than anything, I need to know what it is that she wanted me to do."

As I confirm my goal silently to the absent goddess, the sound of the two heavy doors opening echoes throughout the cathedral. Not many people come to this place so I can't help but wonder who exactly it is. So I turn away from the goddess's altar to face the light spreading from the crack in between the doors. At that moment our eyes meet. The lost lamb who has stepped past the point of no return is a female Heavy Blade by the name of Mimiru. She gazes at me awkwardly before stepping further into the goddess's court and giving me a friendly smile.

"Oh? I wasn't expecting to meet anyone here," the female warrior steps closer to me, "I thought people usually tried to stay away from this place, but I guess things have changed a little."

I choose not to respond. The seemingly new player speaks in such a casual and general manner that there really isn't a need for me to respond. However, it should be understood by all that this area is "mine". I can't allow for anyone, new player or not, to enter so casually. So I turn to face the girl and equip my Sins of Hades.

This action speaks louder than any words. Mimiru stops in her tracks and keeps a position of approximately ten feet between us. She appears surprised by my sudden arming; however, much to my surprise she arms herself with the basic Heavy Blade weapon. There isn't fear in her reaction, but rather courage. Even though there is more than a substantial difference in our levels, this girl won't back down from a simple threat. I see now that I'll just have to PK her.

"Who are you?" the female Heavy Blade is direct with her words.

In a world where one can simple learn one's name simply by facing them, the true question is why I'm doing this. So all I can do if give her a simple answer.

"Chaotic PK, Light the White Noise. As someone who is attracted to this place, I'll have to defeat you here and now," I lift my blades and get into a combat-ready stance, "because there is a possibility you posses something I've been looking for."


End file.
